US-Israel Relations: Time US Act Tough

The US ministration of every Israeli whim has turned it into a spoilt
child. Israel is now biting the hand that feeds it. That Israel had
the affrontery to announce new settlements as US VP Joe Biden was
visiting attest to this.

The much US could do to her spoilt child was,well, to rebuke it.

Israel has been socialized by the US to believe they can get away with
anything. But why not? US wields its veto power whenever anything sane
on Middle East peace come up for discussion in UN Security Council
meetings.

Besides,US is ready with cash and arms should Israel feel like war.

This special relationship is costing US a lot.Peace in the Islamic
world rests squarely upon the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.The
treatment of Palestinian like dogs feeds jihadi ideology. It is
hurting feelings, rightly so, in the islamic world.

Time US choose between world peace and pleasing Israel.

If US today renounce its special relationship with Israel,Israel would
be seriously negotiating with Palestine the next day. Peace will
prevail ever after!

Kenyan Police is a Cowardly Criminal Gang

You are better off with a bunch of thieves than in the supposed protection of the Kenyan security hoodlums. It is either they are inept, poorly trained, drugged or are operating under some dictum to kill as many Kenyans as possible to make a tame population of us. Otherwise what can explain the wanton killings of innocent civilians, day in day out, in the name of fighting crime?

The killing of seven innocent taxi drivers the other day in Kawangware is just another episode in the endless tragedy of executions of civilians by the Kenyan security apparatus. Before you are hoodwinked by the government spin, the ‘dangerous criminals’ were honest Kenyans eking out a living as taxi operators. They happened to have called a meeting in the course of their beat at night to discuss squabbles with their business rivals; the motorcycle taxi operators. Owing to the bad blood with the later stemming from business competition, the motorcycle operators alerted the police that the taxi operators were thieves planning a robbery.


Without any investigation, the administration police rushed to the scene and sprayed them with bullets. The taxi operators did not fire back as they were unarmed. The trigger happy coppers finished their mission of butchering them within no time. When the guns went silent, seven men, bread winners of some seven poor families, lay dead. No weapon was found on them.
I wonder who gave the Kenyan Police the carte blanche to shoot and kill. Every week passes with so many extra-judicial killings. Criminals have got rights too. It is the duty of the state to protect lives, including those of thieves. They ought to be arrested, charged and corrected. Not to be killed.

The Kenyan police have tried to justify their bribe taking culture by citing poor pay. Could they be hit men for hire to supplement their poor pay too? The Kawangware killings points strongly to this. It is suspect how they acted so fast. When the Kenyan police are not conniving with criminals to rob civilians, they are colluding with rival gangs to finish their rivals.

The Kenyan Police system is exploiting the fact that Kenyans hate criminals and would not care much how they are dealt with. Wait till you lose a loved one whom you can vouch for his innocence with your life. That is the time you will know that most of the people who are felled by police bullets in the name of fighting crime are just innocent souls.

Sometimes, I agree, it is a case of real thugs. I am not a policing expert but it is better to have a live criminal than a dead one. Arrested criminals provide crucial intelligence. That is when police is dedicated to rooting out crime in the long term. You can easily nap remaining criminals and bust crime cells from the information gleaned from a captured criminal. But our cowardly mob otherwise called police shoots them on sight even when they are not posing any danger to their lives.

Another pointer to the incompetence of the Kenyan police is the ever rising cases of innocent deaths from stray bullets. Who should teach them how to handle weapons? I use to think they get some training. Now I doubt. Every so often a life is snuffed by a stray bullet from a police officer. Nobody cares to bring them to justice because they are law unto themselves. They are the investigators and prosecutors themselves. No wonder not a single police officer has faced justice for the legion of killings that bedevil this country.

After every demonstration, the police whip out their guns and fire at demonstrators. Is their curriculum devout of crowd management? Why all the high handedness when dealing with a crowd of people simply expressing themselves with bare hands. The paradox is, most demonstrations in this country are about the police. Either the public are demonstrating against police killings or insecurity. And the best response from our beloved police force is to kill and maim.

I heard from the police that they have opened an inquest to the Kawangware killings. An inquest? My foot! How can the police investigate itself? It is a travesty of justice at best. Many inquests have been opened in this country and yet none has been concluded. What about the mass executions by the police? So many people are secretly killed by the police and taken to the game parks to be eaten by wild animals without a trace. Who will open an inquest for them yet the police deny involvement in their disappearances?

Oscar Foundation reported 8040 Mungiki members killed by the police in 2007 and 4070 disappearances. How far are they with these inquests? As an acknowledgement of the report, they went ahead and killed Oscar himself, the organization founder, in broad daylight. How far is his inquest?

The killing is an endless vicious cycle.

The UN investigator, Prof Philip Alston told the government to end police impunity. He adduced to the existence of police death squads. The government was quick to invoke its sovereignty clause.

The US Human Rights Reports, released just two days ago, raised a lot of concern on police killings in Kenya, Nigeria and Ethiopia. The government will just keep mum or reiterate that we are a sovereign state and therefore our police have the right to eliminate us whenever they deem fit.

The collective silence from the Kenyan public is too deafening but I doubt whether any will keep quiet when a police bullet rob one of his/her loved one. It is better to demand action from this government now. If the police killers are brought to book, they will be deterred from using us for target practice.

World Billionaires List: Check if Your Name is Among the Chosen Few!

Mexican telecom giant Carlos Slim has topped Forbes magazine's billionaire's list - the first time since 1994 that an American has not led the rankings.

Mr Slim's fortune rose by $18.5bn (£12.4bn) last year to $53.5bn.

That beat Microsoft founder Bill Gates ($53bn) into second place, with US investor Warren Buffett ($43bn) third.

In 2009 332 names left the list after a tough year, but the total number of billionaires on this year's list rose from 793 to 1,011, Forbes said.

A spokesman for Carlos Slim refused to confirm the Forbes estimate of the Mexican tycoon's wealth, saying they did not "waste their time" on such calculations, but he welcomed the result.

"We're pleased that he has been considered the best businessman of the world," spokesman Arturo Elias told the BBC. "It means there is trust among the investors."

The year's biggest gainer, Brazilian mining tycoon Eike Batista, broke into the top 10 for the first time.

He came in at number seven, having boosting his wealth by $19.5bn to $27bn.

France's Bernard Arnault ($27.5bn), the man behind the world's biggest luxury goods firm LVMH, also moved back into the top 10 and number eight, increasing his fortune by $11bn to $27.5bn.

Their mounting wealth helped to push Ikea's Ingvar Kamprad and Theo Albrecht - one of the men behind Aldi - out of the top 10.

Upturn

In a sign that the global economy could be seeing signs of improvement, the average net worth of the world's billionaires is now $3.5bn, up $500m from last year.

Furthermore, 97 names made their debut while a record 164 returned to the list in 2010 - including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg ($4bn), who, aged 25, also regained the title of youngest billionaire.

CARLOS SLIM
# Full name - Carlos Slim Helu
# Age - 70
# Widower with six children
# Family empire now controls more than 200 companies
# Controls more than 90% of Mexico's phone landlines
# Other interests include Inbursa financial group and the Grupo Carso industrial conglomerate

The news was a far cry from 2009 when the financial crisis took its toll on the world's richest people, wiping 332 names off the list and an average of 23% off the wealth of the remaining billionaires.

Falling stock markets and collapsing commodity prices were blamed. Russia's ultra-rich appear to have recovered from last year's commodity-related losses, however, with 62 billionaires on the 2010 list, compared with 27 last year.

Consumer focus

In Europe, shopping dominated the money list with six of the top 10 European billionaires making their money in retail and three more in consumer products.

Top of the list was Bernard Arnault (7) from LVMH, closely followed by Amancio Ortego of clothes retailer Zara (9), Karl Albrecht of cut-price supermarket Aldi (10), Igvar Kamprad and family (11) of Ikea and Stefan Persson (13) of discount retailer Hennes & Mauritz.

In the UK, the sixth Duke of Westminster Gerald Grosvenor (45) remained the wealthiest Briton with a net worth of $12bn as he improved his finances by $1bn despite the UK property slump.

Meanwhile, two Britons also made their debut - real estate investor Xiuli Hawken ($2.4bn) and hedge fund manager Alan Howard ($1.8bn).

On the up

The improving health of the global economy meant that 55 countries were represented in the Forbes list - with Pakistan (Mian Muhammad Mansha, number 937) and Finland (Antti Herlin, number 773) adding their first billionaires.

Strengthening stock markets and several large public offerings during the past year helped Asia close the gap with Europe.

A total of 234 Asian billionaires were featured in the 2010 list compared with 248 from Europe.

Russia's reversal of fortunes in the past 12 months also helped it inch up the league of cities that are home to the most billionaires after slipping to third place last year.

Mexican shakes up world rich list
In 2010, New York remained at the top of the pile with 60 ultra-rich residents, Moscow was second with 50 billionaires and London third with 32.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/business/8560731.stm

Published: 2010/03/11 02:24:19 GMT

STORY FROM THE BBC

I Want Us To Talk! Why This Statement Scares Men To Death!

Yesterday I did something very unusual; I watched the Christian station Family TV. It is unusual for me because I am a committed non-Christian. I have always believed that all tele-evangelists are assholes. The program was Dr. Phil, it turned out he aint no tele-idiot. Not only did the whole thing ended without a mention of Jesus, but I was really entertained. Dr Phil’s show is a trouble shooting forum for married couples.

The topic was varied but one attracted my attention: why do men freak out when a partner or wife mutters ‘I want us to talk!’ what is threatening in this seemingly innocent words?

The show brought memories from my last relationship about a year ago. Gosh! How time flies! The same words used to terrorize me but never once have I tried to unravel the mystery behind this bunch of words. What is the danger in talking? People talk everyday, not least with the same woman who want ‘a talk.’

Or have things changed since I last dated? I think not. I was careful to check the year of Dr Phil’s show after it ended and it turned out to be 2003! I have never watched family TV before but was not surprised that it keeps true to the Kenyan TV tradition of airing very stale programs. And they have the cheek to advertise them weeks before airing as the next hottest thing on screen!

If you are new in this country or a total ignoramus, the Reality TVs you are watching in Kenya are not real time but in fact older than the last dinosaurs that walked the earth. If you watching ‘ So You Think You Can Dance’ , ‘ The X Factor’ , ‘ Last Comic Standing’ or anything, please don’t get out your phone to vote when the MC announce ‘voting lines are now open’, those seasons you watching ended a dozen years ago. The sexy sassy brassy participants you are cheering are now doting grandmothers.

Evolution takes a million years so men are just the same scared lot they were when I left the dating scene or when Dr Phil’s show aired. What make them scared of talks with their better halves?

Dr. Phil take was that men are socialized to be macho and therefore will shy away from pouring out their emotions. His other explanation was that men have fragile egos. Those are maybe western men but partly true for Africans too.

I pondered the whole night trying to figure out what in those words used to scare the balls outta me.

One, men are hardly faithful in their relationships. So, when a partner says ‘I want us to talk’ what you hear is ‘dog, why didchu play me?’ I used to go over in my mind what I have done in the past few days, stuff that chicks have forgotten in ma digs, tell tale signs of a player, undeleted texts that might have given me away and other possible loopholes. When I was sure there was nothing that could give me away, I went to the next possible reason for ‘the talk’ demand.

The other reason could be that maybe the gal was pregnant. That used to make me sweat even in winter. Has this gal set me up? If yes, I will tell her to abort or else we are not in business. If it was accidental, then it means the same thing: abortion. I was hardly ready to buy the diapers or be called daddy. The word ‘daddy’ can give you the heebie-jeebies at a certain age.

What other thing that made the ‘I want us to talk’ statement creepy is my sheer hatred for structured talks. I hate serious boardroom type talks. I prefer the free agenda-less banter. I abhor the seriousness that meetings entailed. If it is a must, I prefer being at the back row where I can play Bricks in my phone or steal glances with stupid bitches or ogle bimbos with low cut tops. A strategy I could not employ with just the two of us in the four walls.

Am almost forgetting, women like talking too much. Men do talk but not as much. Women can bore you to death with lotsa empty talks. It is worse when it is just you and her in the room. Seated across the table staring and you, with blazing eyes looking directly into your eyeballs…that is what I call terror.

Most guys I know hate explaining themselves. Especially when accused. It does not matter whether they are innocent or guilty, trying to explain oneself as a man is fiendishly hard. The only time men cease to be articulate is when they have to do it before a woman. You just wish she could understand without your having to talk. I bet the tough talking politicians on TV wet their pants when their wives throw the ‘I want us to talk’ bomb at them too. Not least because men are the same but because they are cheating bastards .

Another reason why we hate the ‘I want us to talk’ proclamation has to do with skeletons in the closet. Guys have a lot to hide about their past. We lie a lot to cover an ugly past. So when a chick decides it is the ‘can we talk’ moments, your mind races to what she might have dug up.

I never gave in to the talks anyway. I always found ways of evading them. A combination of procrastinations and deceit always did the trick. To date, I don’t know what she wanted us to talk about. Could it be the reason our relationship went kaput? I will ring her to confirm now that the relationship is gone to heaven.

Why do men never ask women for a 'talk'? It is them to tell us but for the moment, they should be advised that ‘I want us to talk’ line means trouble in men’s parlance.

Abortion Debate in Kenya: Churches, Please Spare Us the Shenanigans

That churches are opposed to the new constitution because of the controversial abortion clause is pure hogwash. The last time I checked, Kenya is a secular state and stealth efforts by Christians to make it otherwise will be opposed to the last man standing.

I almost forget, today is the International Women Day, lemme take this opportunity to wish all women a great day and a great year. They should use this day to take stock of the achievements they have made so far and what still remains to be done in the fight for dignity, liberty and the right to steer their own destiny. I am sure the right to safe abortion is at the centre of this march.

Oh, this reminds me, why are the voices I hear about abortion those of men and not women?

Abortion is about women. Men’s role ends the night of conception and in some cases; they join the woman in bringing up the offspring. A role they sometimes abdicate without any scruples. Those crying loud about abortion are such men.

So what is my opinion on abortion?

Abortion is not murder. It is a health procedure. Just like an operation to remove cancerous cells or dieting to cut weight.

Life starts at the time when a baby can survive on its own without the direct support of the mother. By that, I mean when all its vital organs are functional.
A fetus is just but a mass of cells. I am not a doctor hence I don’t know after how many weeks a baby can survive on its own outside of a mother’s womb. It is for doctors to decide and I am sure they have the capacity to do it.

In Spain, abortion is permissible up to 22 weeks. I don’t know what rational they used to arrive at this time frame. Their laws state that a mother can procure abortion when her physical and mental (psychological) wellbeing is under threat. The mental aspect was obviously included to take care of the economic and social consequences of a woman carrying the pregnancy to full term. I believe this is the best law for women anywhere in the world. This law has been in effect since 1985 and Spaniards still bring forth many offspring including the one you will be watching in the 2010 World Cup. This law has never made the Spanish race extinct. It has only made their lives better. Why doesn’t Kenya borrow a leaf from them?

Pregnancy takes place in a woman’s body and is therefore solely responsible for its continued existence or otherwise, depending on what they feel about it. No second party can interfere in this natural situation without infringing on the fundamental rights of the mother. I believe this unique situation gives them inaliable right to determine whether to carry the baby or not.

Again, I believe the fetus is part of a woman’s body up until the birth of the baby. If anything happens to the fetus, it has direct consequences on the life of the mother. It is only a woman who knows how the fetus or baby will affect her life and thus pregnancy is the sole discretion of a woman involved.

I will never be shaken from this conviction. This is a biological issue, not legal, political, social or otherwise. Those whose beliefs are in the contrary should critically re-examine their thoughts.

Life begins at birth. Period. If it was not so, a fetus should have been able to develop independently of the mother. The one that a man and woman have equal say over it is a test-tube baby.

Back to the abortion debate vis a vis the Kenyan church. The church in Kenya is a hypocritical lot. When Kenya was burning during the Post Election Violence, the church went silent. Its members retreated to their tribal enclaves and waged war against other tribes. They don’t have the moral authority to guide this nation because they are partisan. The vested interests they have in the politics of this country have made them irredeemably parochial. They cannot be relied to give an independent, sober and rational moral guidance to this nation. We are better off with our secular minds.

(I am guilty of a fallacy of argumentum ad hominem but this is the only way I can illustrate that the church in Kenya is not infallible.)

In any case, they should be waging their wars from the pulpits not press conferences. This is not the Vatican. The state here is clearly separate from religion. Those who are dissatisfied with this arrangement should kindly relocate. I am particularly bitter because the Church puts itself in a high pedestal it cannot itself live up to it. For instance, they are opposed to condom use yet AIDS is ravaging their flock equally as non-Christians. Family planning is another case. Now abortion, it is time the church wake up from their blinding faith. Hey guys, reality is beckoning!

The church should preach morality to its flock not the world. Their influence on the morality of this nation should be through preaching the teachings of the bible and not by arm-twisting our laws. They should detest from this business of blackmail. If their teachings were effective we would be having no unwanted pregnancies to start with. Time to stop fighting the symptoms and go for the cancer. They should carry a serious introspection and map out a strategy of winning back their flocks to the ways of Christianity.

They are fighting a lost war because they are fighting it from the wrong front. So many abortions happen in this country every hour yet it is illegal. It does not mean if it is legalized it will escalate. It will only make it safe for the mothers. What is the point of losing two lives when we can save at least one?

It is not a secret. Most aborted fetuses include those of randy church ministers, priests and pastors. You just have to throw a passing glance at the abortions in your neighborhood to confirm this. Even their daughters and wives are not spared. Worse still, they abet abortion when it is their family members or close relatives. These bastards know what abortions are for. Lousy charlatans!

Divorce the abortion debate from religion. Then and only then will we have a productive debate that take care of the real stakeholders: women!

It is Better Being A Dog in the West than Human in Africa!

The news of a nationwide constitutional referendum to give animals a constitutional right to be represented in Swiss courts reminded me of how far down the development ladder we are in Africa. Many African countries are reeling in dictatorships such that it is a treasonable to even imagine a single constitutional amendment to better the lives of human beings. Most people are living in such deplorable conditions they cannot afford the luxury to think of animal rights.

So, animal rights activities in Switzerland say appointing state funded animal lawyers would ensure animal laws are upheld. Don’t forget that Switzerland already has the most stringent animal laws in the world with a state appointed cruelty cases lawyer, Mr. Antoine Goetschel, having represented dogs, cats, sheep and even a fish in the past. For the love of animals, the Swiss want a nationwide system of animal lawyers.

Back to Africa, most Africans cannot afford a descent meal, shelter, clothing, health care and safe drinking water.

A simple comparative analysis will point out that animals in the west have better lives and more rights than us Africans.
Health Care

In the west, the doctor patient ratio is mostly triple digits. Cuba is leading with 170; Belarus has 220 and so forth. Come to Africa: Tanzania and Malawi is one doctor to 50 000 patients while Uganda has 12 500.

The statistics on vets are mostly unavailable but I gleaned that in the US, vet to pets ratio is around 35 000. That means a dog in the US has better chances of getting treatment than a Tanzanian or Malawian and by extension, better health care.

In Africa, health emergence services are either poor or non-existent. In Kenya, emergence services are run by private companies and are therefore subscriber based. Few can afford them. Hot lines are never working. In the west, even India, emergence services for pets and animals are very efficient. The nearest hospital being 30 kilometers away, there is not a single ambulance in my village yet the west has more than enough ambulances for animals.
Food

According to the recommended feeding amount, Fido, a typical American dog, would eat $1.74 worth of high quality, human grade ingredients, and no risky imports dog food while Fluffy the cat would be consuming $3.87 worth of cat food each day. I bet An African would be more comfortable eating these pet foods than the concoctions that causes him cholera and typhoid he eats in Africa.

It is universal knowledge that many in Sub- Saharan Africa live on less than a dollar a day. In Nigeria, 64.4 % of people live on less than a dollar a day. That means a Nigerian cannot afford to live a dog life in the west. 83.9 % of Nigerians live on less than two dollars a day. That means the majority of Nigerians cannot afford to be a live cat in the US for a day. This is a country that is the eighth largest exporter of oil in the world.
Shelter

I am sure that the living conditions in the west for pets are better than most in Africa. Most houses in Africa are makeshift structures that are a disaster in waiting. Most cannot keep out the elements. Majority of urban communities live in slum conditions that a western dog will contract a million diseases and die within a day.
Security

The greatest threat to an African life is to be snuffed out by a piece of lead from a (in)security agent. Most countries are covert police states. Even in some countries that masquerade as democracies, state sponsored killings are rampant. In Kenya, the government connives with illegal gangs to terrorize and kill the citizenry. A killer mob called Mungiki exists freely and kills with impunity. Recently, the government released its leader from prison.

Kenyan police is a trigger-happy mob. A report by a civil society, the mars Group, indicates that ten suspected robbers were slain in two days in February this year alone. While in the western democracies this would raise a furor, the Kenyan police dabble with extra-judicial killing with impunity.

About three hundred Boko Haram members, a militant Islamic group, were killed by police last year in Nigeria .A video released by Al Jazeera recently, gave a graphic account of police shooting unarmed members of the group in cold blood. The Christian-Muslim conflict in Jos this year claimed more than 800 lives, with the police responsible for most of the deaths.

People are dying daily in Africa from avoidable causes. The authorities treat them no better than mere statistics. African governments are more concerned about the next elections and how best to remain in power than providing security. In most cases, they eliminate their competitors.

The genocides in Rwanda and Darfur are too documented to be cited. When was the last time you heard of wanton mass deaths of animals in the west? They are assured of life than us in Africa.
Animal welfare groups, charitable trusts, humane societies and animal rights bodies are more effective in the west than civil Societies in Africa. Most civil society members are just shouting loud so as to be coopted into government. Some groups, for instance PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) are better organized and proactive than most civil societies here. PETA has 2 million members to boot

If the theory of reincarnation is true, I would wish than I be reborn a dog in the west than a human being Africa!

Esther Arunga is Gone Bananas for Real!

Esther Arunga is Gone Bananas for Real!

When was the last time you heard a sane person sue his/her parents? Even the craziest of them all, Eminem, did not get close! Even in Tinsel town, the A-Listers don’t go that far. Whatever excuse anybody can have for suing one’s parents: privacy, freedom, money or anything, Esther Arunga’s case did not warrant it, it just not plausible. Your parents, however perspective you view them from are almost sacred. They are the last people to mean bad for you. They can sometimes err, yes, but whatever their mistake is, is rarely out of malice.

At times, your parents can mess you up or vex but most sane individuals will let it go, sort it in private or with close relatives. But going to court and call a press conference to announce it is not madness but worse.

The news that Esther Arunga is suing all media houses and the mental institution she was rightfully referred to by her parents to a tune of Kshs 300 Million is perturbing but not extra ordinary. The media are sued every day for all manner of things. But that she has the guts to sue her parents is way out of the ordinary. It is something out of mad land.

In this blog before, I had argued that Esther Arunga needs some urgent psychiatric attention. It happens I was not the only one with that view. Her caring parents shared it. Esther Arunga is sick and still needs psychiatric care.

It does not matter to me that she has married Quincy Timberlake, though I am sure Esther Arunga, in her former sane self would not have touched him with a long stick leave alone share a bed with him. I am sure that the Quincy Timberlake is a ponce, a dunce or a bugger and Esther Arunga is marrying him out of madness. When she recovers, the first place will be the law courts to nullify the ‘marriage’.

Some people are taking advantage of Esther Arunga’s derangement. That hell of a man otherwise known as Joseph Hellon should be banned from getting close to Esther Arunga. Her parents are right to detain Esther Arunga, she is just being helped from doing much damage to herself but she cannot recognize it in her present state of mind.

If Esther Arunga is not insane, as she would want us to believe, what can explain all these nonsense she is doing? Running for presidency, marrying a freeloader, indulging in a cheap cult, resigning her job, suing her parents ad nauseam?

When she is finally cured of her insanity,( wishing her quick recovery),she will have a lot to regret, a great deal to undo, much to re-do and many to seek forgiveness from.

The best thing for now, dear Esther, is to check into a mental asylum! I think this is the last article I am writing on her, it is not fair to write about an insane fellow.

Do you think Esther Arunga is in her right mind?